Tall Tales: The Glory Years of the NBA, in the Words of the Men Who Played, Coached, and Built Pro Basketball [Hardcover]

Terry Pluto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1992

The definitive oral history of the NBA traces the history of the organization, from its earliest days through its emergence as a major professional sports league. By the author of Loose Balls. 20,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal sportswriter Pluto has been steadily building a reputation as one of the nation's top basketball writers with books like Forty-Eight Minutes and Loose Balls ; this fine oral history will surely enhance that reputation. After a brief account of the National Basketball Association's formative period, which ended in 1954 when the 24-second shot clock changed the game forever, Pluto describes the exciting events in basketball during 1956-66, when the Boston Celtics dominated the league. Unlike many comparable histories in which the superstars have declined to participate, this one includes contributions from Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Red Auerbach and dozens of other players almost as well known. Of course contemporary fans will argue that 1992, with the assembling of the Olympic "Dream Team," was basketball's real glory year, but the debate should only aid sales of Pluto's book. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Following the format he employed in Loose Balls (LJ 9/15/90), Pluto strings together capsule comments from players, coaches, officials, owners, and reporters to chronicle the growth of the National Basketball Association during the decades of the Fifties and Sixties, when the league was struggling to gain parity with other professional sports. Among the topics covered are the "forgotten" stars (e.g., Bob Pettit, Dolph Schayes), the breaking of racial barriers, the Bill Russell/Wilt Chamberlain battles, and life on and off the court in the smaller NBA cities of Fort Wayne and Syracuse. While many of the observations are of a jocular nature, others define the dramatic changes that have occurred in the way the game is played and operated. For popular sports collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 8/92.
- William H. Hoffman, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Fla.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st ed edition (December 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671742795
• ISBN-13: 978-0671742799
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #588,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interviewees Remember the Early NBA, April 26, 2009

By 

Eric Mayforth (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tall Tales: The Glory Years of the NBA, in the Words of the Men Who Played, Coached, and Built Pro Basketball (Hardcover)

Today, the NBA is a billion-dollar league, with multimillionaire players playing in state-of-the-art arenas in every corner of the country. Terry Pluto tells the story of the league's much humbler beginnings in "Tall Tales".

The book is written in interview format, with both well-known and lesser-known figures remembering their days in the league. Pluto tells the story of how and why pro basketball got its start and describes the culture of the early NBA and its style of play in the early years. The book describes the growing pains the league went through, with franchises in small cities eventually replaced with moves to big cities, racial segregation replaced with racial integration, and stall-ball replaced with the 24-second clock and up-tempo basketball. The Boston Celtics' great teams and their rivalries with the St. Louis Hawks in the '50s and the Los Angeles Lakers in the '60s are recalled, as is Bill Russell's titanic rivalry with Wilt Chamberlain.

"Tall Tales" would be enjoyed by any NBA fan who was following the league prior to 1970, or by anyone younger who is curious about the league's early decades.

5.0 out of 5 stars Every bit as good as Loose Balls, July 20, 2010

By 

R. L. Manugian "Caniff Afficionado" (Olympia, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tall Tales: The Glory Years of the NBA, in the Words of the Men Who Played, Coached, and Built Pro Basketball (Hardcover)

As with Loose Balls, Pluto's brilliant look at the ABA, Pluto serves up fascinating interviews with NBA players, coaches and owners. Sometimes they're discussing aspects of their careers and at others they're offering insights into others' careers, but it's always mesmerizing. Pluto does a great job of culling interesting information and editing it into chunks that serve up lots of fun without the fat.

Some insights are outright startling, others humorous. An easy page-turner: this is the kind of book you can read nonstop on a plane flight or pick up and put down whenever you're in the mood for fast, fun reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars Terry Pluto is the Best Interviewer in Print, August 20, 2008

By 

OlingerStories - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tall Tales: The Glory Years of the NBA, in the Words of the Men Who Played, Coached, and Built Pro Basketball (Hardcover)

Terry Pluto is hands down the best sportswriter in America. One big reason is that he actually listens to the athletes and lets them speak for themselves. This volume on the NBA shows Pluto's great interviewing skills. As for content, it reveals the early generation of NBA players loved the game and were warriors on the court.